Robot 6

SF Weekly turns this week’s issue into a comic

[Editor’s note: Every Sunday, Robot 6 contributors discuss “The best in comics from the last seven days” — from news and announcements to a great comic that came out to something cool creators or fans have done.]

Last week readers of SF Weekly, San Francisco’s weekly alternative newspaper, received a special treat — the entire issue, including the features, columns, news stories, letters and more — were transformed into comics.

The writers for the paper teamed up with artists from the California College of the Arts, under the guidance of the paper’s editor, Brandon R. Reynolds, and special guest co-editor Matt Silady, chair of the California College of the Arts’ MFA in Comics Program and creator of the Eisner-nominated The Homeless Channel. The goal was to take the writers and artists out of their comfort zones, to get them thinking more like their counterparts and to find new ways to tell stories — within the boundaries of a regular issue.

Silady told me, “This very special issue has been in the works for quite some time, and we’re thrilled it is hitting SF Weekly newsstands and the web this week.”

The paper hit the stands on June 11, which was followed by a gallery exhibit at 111 Minna Gallery. You can find the entire issue online at its dedicated microsite, and read the letter from this issue’s co-editors below.